Shadows On My Mind
by LadyNobleSong
Summary: She is over him, he is over her. There is nothing more to be said. Or is there?


**Disclaimer:** I'm running out of jokes, slowly but surely. Still not mine.

**A/N:** The fifth part of a brief series of song-inspired drabbles. This part is actually for -and inspired by- the brilliant art of Marianne ( mariannewiththesteadyhands). Check out her work!

Enjoy,  
>Wil.<p>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Shadows On My Mind<strong>

Over You – Ingrid Michaelson

'_Over, I'm so over you,  
>The way that you laugh, made everything that I do,<br>Over, I'm so over you,  
>The way that you said that you'd always be true,<br>And maybe if I tell myself enough__,__  
>Maybe if I do,<br>I'll get over you.'_

_She was over him. _

She had been over him for decades now. There was a time when she could barely face the prospect of having to stand in the same room as him for even a couple minutes. She would avoid his gaze at all costs, focusing on the bitter taste upon her tongue instead, struggling to keep her feelings of sadness and anger at bay. Each of these encounters would feel like yet another stab to an already open wound in the pit of her stomach.

Now, however, everything was different. Since the Avatar had entered Republic City, Lin had found herself forced to cooperate with Tenzin on an almost daily basis, and although she would admit feeling ever so slightly irritated at first, she had soon discovered that she didn't mind any longer. Tenzin was efficient, insightful and courteous in whatever task he was entrusted with; it was all that mattered to Lin. She had always gotten along well with Tenzin, ever since they had first sparred together, half a lifetime ago; she was relieved to realise it was still the case, despite their history and the mutual pain they had inflicted upon one another.

She had even gone as far as bonding with Pema. It turned out that, underneath all the accumulated hatred and resentment Lin had felt towards the younger woman since the _incident_, there had been some sincere sympathy waiting to bloom all along. She was aware it would probably never turn into a unconditional friendship like she shared with Kya and Izumi, but whatever it was that flew between the two women, it oddly resembled genuine affinity, and Lin found herself revelling at the thought.

She was well and truly over him.

Maybe if she kept repeating these for another couple decades, she would even bring herself to believe them.

…

_He was over her. _

Despite all the anger and pain their separation had inflicted on both sides, Tenzin truly believed it had been beneficial to them, in the long run. This way, Lin had been able to embrace her career in the exact ways she had always meant to; as for him, he had been gifted with the most wonderful family, which he watched blossom around him a little more year after year. Every small, lingering doubt he could have had regarding the strength of his relationship with Pema after they had gotten engaged had been proven wrong, and he didn't think he could possibly love her any more than he already did.

He would gladly admit he had felt some initial reluctance to working together with Lin to protect the Avatar, but there, as well, he had been mistaken. It was almost as if their common past had left no scars at all; all that remained was deeply-woven friendship and silent understanding. It wasn't a surprise, as after all, he and Lin had once intended to spend the rest of their lives together. Such genuine fondness couldn't be erased, even by the coordinated actions of time and bitterness, and Tenzin was grateful for it.

He recalled how a couple weeks before, Pema had expressed fears that working alongside Lin would perhaps cause them both to relive some sad and painful memories over and over again, yet the only memories he seemed to find himself thrown back to were those of the blissful years they had spent together, long before it had all gone awry. He was just beginning to realise what a shame it had been to push them aside with the others; some things, he did _not _want to forget. His relationship with Lin was the past; there was nothing wrong about looking back at the past with certain fondness, was there?

He was over her, so why would it matter?

…

Only when their lips crashed together again, for the first time in almost two decades, conveying all their pent-up passion, longing and sadness, did they finally acknowledge the undeniable truth.

They were _not _over one another, nor ever would they be.


End file.
